Police confirm stranded Somalis drifted into uninhabited island

The Somalis in the dinghy that drifted to Noonu atoll Vavathi on Saturday are believed to have arrived in Maldives unintentionally, police said on Sunday.

There were three people in the dinghy when it washed ashore at Vavathi, an uninhabited island in Noonu atoll that is used for agriculture. Police also released a photo of the men sitting on a bench at the island on Saturday.

They are now in Noonu atoll Holhudhoo.

"They have been provided with temporary shelter under the care of the island council," a police officer said.

Somalia, which is located to the east of Maldives, has in the past brought a large number of people to the Maldivian territory in the past, unintentionally drifting like this or coming for piracy. The most recent of this was found to be another group of drifters outside North Ari atoll, also in a dinghy.

The number drifters increased before 2010, and the number of people in military custody rose to 40. It took a long time for all of them to be repatriated. That is because, as the army said at the time, they could not confirm their origins.